Winds of Change !!!

No systems. No processes. No mechanism to check what is what. That is how Independent India was born on Aug 15, 1947. Perhaps, the British did think of implementing a few and to improve the scenario, alas, they faced the wrath of the nation, though the nation was enslaved by itself. Sheer gluttony of politicians never left anything for the common man, depriving the nation of the most basic amenities, food, clothing and shelter. Neo-nepotism

Soulful

Meyiappan Geyiappan

The name made it to the media headlines for almost a fortnight. Shutterbugs tracked every single step of this man post his name being highlighted in IPL 2013 betting scandal which later led to his arrest. Son-in-law to N Srinivasan, owner of IPL franchisee Chennai Super Kings, never would have imagined himself to be behind bars in such a fashion. N Srinivasan, perhaps faced the most daunting time of his life, almost yielding to the media pressure of stepping down as BCCI chief. In true fascist style, Srinivasan managed to pull it off (his way) by just stepping aside, till the enquiry gets over. The committee has been formed and is supposed to un-earth the scandalous nature followed and practiced in IPL, atleast by son-in-law. The biggest question to me is, where is Meyiappan ?

And the answer is, he is Geyiappan !!!

This is what (eventful) media is.

The limelight has shifted to NaMo, BJP-JDU split and now at Uttarakhand devastation (my heart goes out to the lives lost) and very importantly to the Indian team victorious at Champions Trophy (kudos MSD !!!). The victory must have certainly give a huge sigh of relief to the beleaguered BCCI and also to N Srinivasan. The true politicians will again stand tall with a guileful smile. The dust has settled for now. The inquiry committee is just hand-in glove with BCCI. They will come out with a report, probably giving out prohibitory orders for Meyiappan and a definite clean chit to the henchman, Srinivasan.

With memories short-lived, IPL will again start next year in the same fanfare, albeit CSK bench will be conspicuous with Meyiappan’s absence.

The betting/ spot-fixing will again surface, probably with a different name, Geyiappan instead of Meyiappan. Crime will again get smarter of the law (or no law).

We are staying in a country where law-breakers are the law makers. Consider this, Azharuddin, who was handed a lifetime ban (lifted in 2012) for match fixing, is a sitting Member of Parliament. Doesn’t it sound insane? Are we insinuating ourselves to be the best-in class saints ?

The power-traders (Pawars, Srinivasans, Dalmiyas et al) know the game pretty well. They will bend all rules to get their interests served and will stay defiant, even with their dirty linen being washed openly in public.

The hype and hoopla around the betting scam has ended, as expected. Meyiappan, you can certainly relax peacefully, you are anyhow son-in-law (pun intended). Your pup and the law (or no law) would be the savior.

No need to be Geyiappan, stay Meyiappan.

Parliament 2.0

I remember a science question from my school days. Who invented Television? John Baird. Even though now when I Google, I find many others had given the concept with some prototypes, prior to Baird. Irrespective of the inventor/s, the invention can be termed as a medium powerful enough to bring a social, economic change.  

     

Circa 1991. India underwent economic reforms including liberalization of broadcasting industry. This opened the gates to a lot of private players, few foreign as well, to explore and leverage the Indian market. Indian channels such as NDTV, Aaj Tak, Zee started as child and now have become behemoths in their domains. They have covered, discussed, debated, exposed all events concerning the average Indian.

 

MMS. I do have a lot of regard for the Indian Premiere for his profound simplicity (as it appears to be) and sheer uprightness (as it appears to be). However, he proves to be a lame duck when it comes to being vociferous in shielding his government from the blatant scams and scandals, hitting left, right and center.

Governments post-independence had a gala time with no watchdog and only state controlled media. The scams and scandals were the brain-child of these governments, only to have become an intrepid monster with the electors being taken into account only once in 5 years. Media is now challenging and changing all this crap. Indian Parliament functions in sessions giving an easy absenteeism to the elected. The debates, even though are LIVE and recorded , tend to more of an eyewash than the real substance. Be it any scam, major or minor, the political parties all seem to be hand-in glove when it comes to paisa. The Television, media, however seems to be making a difference.

 

 

I have been watching couple of debates on NDTV and I am in the awe of anchors such as Ravish Kumar, Abhigyan Prakash. Same goes to other newschannels as well. They are upright, no-nonsense people, willing to confront the politico-honchos and make them bite the dust, right in front of the angered diaspora.  Such is the tenacity of arguments based on facts and figures that cause netas and their nominees gasping for breath and struggling for words. Media has been tearing into the tainted system burgeoning with illiterate and goon like figures and exposing their real face in the public.

All this is changing things for good. The netas are now part of debates aired by a private newschannel and this is turning into a virtual parliament. They are being made more accountable, more answerable to the general public. Any scamster is chased right to his door-step and is gherao-ed, confronted with the media. This is forcing political parties to wake-up and be more conscious of their image, branding. They are turning more and more cautious in their acts and are asking their tainted mantris to quit the posts.

I can only hope that television and media would be real savior of India in next few decades. The newschannels will continue to expose the tainted politicians and virtually put an end to their career. Political parties would be forced to cleanse themselves from head to toe for the evil elements harbored.

God is Upstairs

Unconventional wisdom, Unconventional thought-process. Perhaps, that is the way to be. The world, society has been conventional, as always, yet there are hints of miniscule cerebration which make the life progress. Shaped customs, traditions from years, decades and centuries and yet we try to break-free to set on a deviation, only to be deviated a bit further, in complete tandem with the ever evolving universe.

Where does the Almighty reside ? Is HE far from us, near us or within us ? How does HE hear us, help us ?. Have we humans, ever met him, seen him ? Why do we always look up at the abysmal SKY when we have to sometimes thank HIM, always curse HIM ? Do we have a provision of sitting, walking, standing besides HIM, somewhere in the Sky ? Can HE afford to spare us a 4*4 room upstairs ? Huh.

We all are part of atleast a religion (though self-styled) and we all have a few forms of GOD. Jesus, Buddha, Mohammed, Rama. Weren’t these present on Earth ? Didn’t they spend their duration (if not Life) here on the soil or did they take a flight to nowhere post the assignment.

Earth gives us all.

We all belong to Earth. We all start from the Mother’s womb only to make it back to Earth, happy to accommodate us, irrespective of religion, region, caste. Such a big heart. Earth feeds us, accommodates us, whatever or whosoever we are. Infact, Earth holds us all together, in pain, in happiness, in euphoria, in birth, in death. The force GRAVITY is what keeps us near to HIM, all unyielding like a dueling family. We start our life here and we end it here, to meet our creator, perhaps for another re-incarnation, another birth. Yet we all look upstairs, towards the sky, towards the stars (doesn’t even have GAS), in the space and in the vacuum, searching for HIM, believing HE will take us to a different flight when we give-in, either by choice or by compulsion.

It’s been thousands of years to life, ages to mankind, we still believe the conventional, the routine. We seek divinity, being a part of divine itself and yet being indifferent to his presence. Can we break-free from our fabricated ethos and bloated egos so as to recognize and realize HIM, the conventional. The evolution has happened and will continue so, perhaps, keen to meet the originator. Will we, as a part of the process, ever realize that we belong to HIMSELF.

Stereotype is time-bound, will be loosened, so are we, only to answer WHEN.

Certainly, God is NOT upstairs.

Hats off Kejriwal !!!

Two weeks of fast has cost him 6-7 kgs of weight, however, this has definitely catapulated Kejriwal to the league of politics. Sacrifice has been the key to success in Indian politics as it touches the emotional aspect with the voter. Not only has Arvind Kejriwal managed to grab the eyeballs at primetime, but also he has been able to strike the chord with the the average middle or even lower class. 

The fast which started on Mar 23 appeared to be a damp squib as compared to previous fasts, agitation or exposes (most importantly those of Robert Vadra and Nitin Gadkari). His fast has ended, but this has given a lot of credence to his crusade with over a million pledging their support for not paying the inflated power and water bills.

I strongly feel the following points would certainly give a thumbs-up to Kejriwal in his yet another attempt to make it to the big league of Indian politics and start the process of cleansing the stinking system.

Strategy : Old wine in the new bottle. Kejriwal has understood and utilized this concept pretty well. DLF-Vadra nexus was highlighted in Economic Times on Mar 14, 2011 in this article. Kejriwal made the most of this issue by exposing this in the press conference, giving multiple interview on news channels and almost convincingly answering a lot of questions. The issue of electricity and water prices has been raised by BJP (though on a muted note) in the past. Kudos to Kejriwal for hijacking the issue from BJP, adding a pinch of salt in the form of fast, campaign signatures, the required media coverage. He has been the super strategist with identifying the existing issues, re-packaging them and taking it to the doorsteps of Indian public.

Objective : Kejriwal will continue to get stronger with every event, be it be an agitation, fast, expose or whatsoever. The reason for his success can be attributed to the objectivity laid out. This objectivity has been able to give a direction and an approach to his campaigns and also a mechanism to measure the success or failure. Anna Hazare, on the other hand has been subjective. Anna comes with a very clean image and has a great appeal in the youth. However, people want RESULTS. They want QuickWins. His Lokpal campaign in Ramleela maidan was one of best seen in last 5 years or more. However, the campaign wasn't able to deliver the results, thanks to the chameleon parliamenterians. Kejriwal's decision of forming a political party has been a bold one and will certainly provide a path of delivering the results for the countrymen.

Basics : Undoubtedly, Kejriwal and his core team were able to devise the right strategy for the core issues. Electricity and water do form the basics of any household. In the past few years, the inflation has virtually made the middle and lower class gasping for breadth. Coupled this with rising prices of electricity and water has just added to the woes. Kejriwal has hit the bulls eye with these issues in order to touchbase with atleast a million delhi households. Election would certainly be a different ball game, but atleast, he has made his presence felt in Delhi with a million people supporting his campaign.

Team : I was watching a debate a week back on NDTV, anchored by Ravish Kumar. The debate had candidates from Congress, BJP and Aam Aadmi Party (Yogendra Yadav was the participant from AAP). Yogendra Yadav was the clear winner. Kejriwal has been able to garner the right candidates, even though, very few in number, for his party. Any political party needs people with exceptional oratorial skills. Yogendra Yadav has been THE man with astute know-how of indian politics, it's pitfalls and possibly the agenda and the strategy that can be devised to beat the political parties at their own game. I would expect Kejriwal to bring in people with similar or more stronger credentials to his movement.

There is a lot at stake for Kejriwal's party AAP in the upcoming Delhi elections. Political pundits rightly say that election remains a different ball-game as it requires monetary and muscle power. Fasts, agitations etc may not necesarily translate in votes. However, irrespective of the results, Kejriwal has been able to make a dent in the existing parties' image, atleast to a certain extent and has been able to connect with the aam aadmi on the basic issues. He will have to establish his credibility further in the form of deliveries/ results to convince further the balloter.

Challenges ahead and so is the way.

Hats off again.

Back with a Bang

Procrasination. Waking up after a very long time, so as to pen something (again genuine) and keep my blog going. There have been many issues in the recent past which touched my heart (Arvind Kejriwal’s expose, Nirbhaya rape case) and I thought of collating my opinion, alas Procrasination.


So, here I come again, Back with a Bang.

MSD. Do I need explain further. One of the most prolific, flamboyant, canny sportspersons India has ever produced. There have been great cricketers of modern times, Tendulkar, Dravid, Sehwag, none can match the charisma of MSD as a captain. He has lead Indian team to scale new heights and with a lot of fervor.

It’s been a fairytale story for MSD’s fans since he has donned the hat of skipper. Series win in Down Under, NZ, 1st T20 World Cup, # 1 ranked Indian team in Test cricket and the icing on the cake, 2011 Indian World Cup. Not to forget, CSK being one of the most successful teams in IPL, under the leadership of Dhoni. Was it just the ladyluck ?

The disastrous tour of England followed by Australian tour did prove certainly expensive to VVS. And a bit almost to Dravid. Couple of other seniors such as Sehwag, Gambhir were also in the firing line for being inconsistent. The tour of English team in 2012 was almost like a curtains call for MSD. His credentials were at stake, certainly as a skipper and also an established batsman in Test side. Just when criticism was sneaking in, the magician has cast the Midas touch again.

2013, Australia’s tour of India.

1st Test, Chennai.

It’s just MSD. He over-shadowed a lot of batting prowess exhibited by Michael Clarke in Australia’s first innings, 81 by Tendulkar and a composed century by Kohli. Terrific double-century and a test win added yet another feather to the cricketing great.

Currently, it’s 3-0 in MSDs favor. As a true fan of this legend, I would hope the beleaguered and depleted Oz side would just help this tally to go upto 4-0.

To me, the best part of being Dhoni is the manner he has bounced back and has managed to give a befitting reply to his critics. He has put a lot of questions, rumors to rest. Not only has he ensured his captaincy in all forms of the game for atleast next year or so, but also he has found true Test cricketers in Pujara, Dhawan and M Vijay. Virat Kohli, has again performed pretty decently in the home series, giving a fillip to his confidence. These performances may certainly put a lot of doubt over Sehwag, Gambhir, though it just might suit very well for MSD and Indian Test cricket so as to look for young blood. It’s time for these young guns to be given a chance so as to forge and nurture their confidence and experience.

The forecast seems pretty simple. The magician will continue to spellbound millions of Indian fans for again a few years. I am quite sure, I will come back and pen down something further, cheerfully again, for the greatest ever.

At the mercy of...

Lo and behold.

The World Champions are being smashed all over. They have been battered, bruised and have been made to bite the dust. Whether it was England, Australia and now minnows Bangladesh, which have made a mockery of the World cup winning squad.

If I can re-collect correctly, the world champions, for example, West Indies, Australia, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, all did justice to their crown by dominating the game over their oponents atleast for a few years. World Cup is held every 4 years, and the above-mentioned world champs did rule the roost for a few years before loosing the sheen.

Indian victory in 2011 was celebrated across the nation as MSD did hand-over the most cherished prize to frenzy nation after a gap of 24 years. The victory was celebrated probably in the remotest village inIndia. Dhoni had become the messiah of the cricket followers in the nation. However, much to the dismay of every Indian fan, the hype and hooplah of being world champs, has been very very short-lived.

West Indies tour was an eyewash. We were playing against a decimated side which didn't have much to offer to themselves. They still managed to put up a good show in ODIs with a 2-3 loss. Suresh Raina got his first overseas win as a captain under his belt. England tour turned just forgettable and Oz tour was a disaster waiting to happen. Likes of Tendulkar, Dravid, Laxman all failed Down Under, in what was their last tour to the country.

ODI series in Australia was a up-down affair. Kohli came good. And India were at the mercy of SL, to reach the finals.

Asia cup. Sachin did score his 100th ton, though I still believe that maestro has been in poor form for over a year now. A century against Bangladesh in the sub-continent, doesn't prove his credentials. Infact, the new born hero is Kohli, who is having a roller-coster ride with every game being played. Unbelievable loss to Bangladesh, thanks to awful bowling, and we were still at the mercy of Bangladesh, to reach the finals.

Is this the same World Cup winning team led by Mahi which had outplayed every team, just a year back. The Indian cricket fan would be hugely disappointed, but to say that this would happen so soon, within a few months of the glorious victory, has been very very shameful.

IPL begins, only to add further woes to the remaining tours/ series this year. Injuries, fitness issues will surely crop-up post IPL.

And Indian team...will be...

At the mercy of...

Whitewash...

Humiliating defeats...India tamed by England and Australia 4-0, Pakistan hammer England 3-0. Just that Sri Lanka managed a win in South Africa, else that series would also have been a whitewash.

Are the ICC and other cricket ratings farce. Or the hosts are too clever for the visitors, thereby giving a thumbs down to the well-above ranked Test side.

Probably, the pitch and the conditions are becoming too much of a decisive factor. But then, what's the meaning of #1 or #2 Test side. Ideally, the #1 team should have championed the turn and bounce being offered by any pitch anywhere and their bowlers should be capable enough to outclass the opposition batting, whatsoever.

It seems that the golden era of a champion team a.k.a Steve Waugh's side, is almost over. That team had the true stalwarts, who could make the opposition look like minnows, irrespective of the venue, pitch, conditions.

It's proven that English side can be spinned out in Indian sub-continent, easily. There are chinks in Clarke's armour as well. Let's see what his side is capable of doing on a topsy-turvy track.

IPL is being blamed for India's debacle, and rightly so. Too much of stroke-play, not really meant for Test cricket. The longer format, instead would require a different and a tougher mindset altogether.

Time to be champions at home and to be tamed abroad.

Nasty cricket.

The Dirty Picture

Hmm.....Undoubtedly,Vidya Balan's histrionics haved wow-ed the audiences all over, the same isn't true for the bleaguered Indian cricket team. The team has performed horribly, and MSD's men are down and out. It's the same Indian team which had shot to No 1 slot in Test rankings sometime back. With the current series lost tamely, the team still edges out Oz side, just on paper. If records are anything to go by, Sachin, Dravid and VVS should have made the current OZ team, bite the dust. All seems to be going down the drain and it wouldn't be surprising if the result of series is 4-0. Australian side is oozing with confidence, are full of momentum. A couple of quick breaks in Indian top order in the 4th test, would certainly be a nail in the coffin. Alas, the tour could just have been a lot better for the Indian side.

It's very very difficult to say what's going wrong with the Indian side. To me, it just looks like a rough patch at the wrong time. VVS, Dravid, Sachin have been true champions of Test cricket. Their records speak for themselves and they have all proved time and again, just for current and the last English series. With the openers not able to perform well, it has just added to the woes. Probably, India's batting was being considered as the true strength and that has proved to be the Achilles' heel.

Australian's, on the other hand, have bowled a superb line and length. Irrespective of their batting, it's the bowling which has outclassed the Indian side. They have toppled the Indian side in all the 3 test matches and the same should hold true in Adelaide as well. Couple of quick fires from Warner, Clarke and Ponting have just been right in time for the Oz team.

With the triangular one-day series up next, it looks as though this just would be a forgettable tour of Australia. I don't see any miracles from the Indian side, even in one-days. They just might get over Sri Lankans, who are struggling again in South Africa.

Wish it was much brighter and sunnier for VVS, Dravid and Tendulkar. For sure, these three won't be touring Aus next time.

Time for a few members a.k.a. 'seniors' to go under the knife

Curtains. The Dirty Picture.

Down @ Down Under

Difficult for me to start this one. It's been a heart-breaking series so far. Much hyped, much frenzied...how can it go all wrong for the star-studded Indian team. Losing 2 matches on the trot, and within 4 days...all seems like a nightmare.

Millions of indian cricket fans...had expected this to be a lot better....infact this was THE mouth-watering, tantalizing series (post the English debacle). There were quite a lot of excuses for the England's tour, fitness and injuries being the major one (post the victorious World Cup). This tour should have been a lot different with Sehwag, Gambhir, Zaheer all fit and relaxed.

I strongly feel that this should be the last of Australia for the greats aka Tendulkar, Dravid and Laxman. And the entire team should have put in their best so as to wish the above-mentioned a most rememberable farewell. Alas, the tour is proving to be a forgettable experience so far.

My analysis for the tour so far

1. Need other bowlers to support ZAK. He has been India's mainstay bowler for a long time. Someone has to fill-in his shoes. Youngster like Umesh Yadav looked very promising in the 1st test, but others need to take wickets as well. Australians managed to take 20 wickets in both the tests, all their bowlers performed quite well (same did hold true for the English team when they beat India 4-0). Australian bowling was being termed as weak and bleak, though Siddle, Pattison and Hilfenhaus have all done their job. Indians, on the other hand, have had bowlers Ishant, Ashwin, who toiled and still looked clueless.

2. A great team is infact a team. If couple of big guns don't fire, it really shouldn't matter. The rest of the team should stand up to the task. Indian batting have so much relied on Dravid, Tendulkar, VVS. They have put up a show, but mostly in patches. These guns need to score and score big. But most importantly, the rest including Sehwag, Gambhir, Kohli, MSD, need to perform.

If MCG and SCG were won within 4 days, WACA can assure the result in 3 days. The way Australians are bowling and the way Indian team is showing up with the bat, the result can be expected within 3 days, for sure. The chances look very very bleak for Indian team to make a comeback in the next 2 tests. It looks all over as of now.

Australian team should be oozing with confidence. For Michael Clarke, this is the best opportunity to seal the series and establish himself as a great captain for the next couple of years. Underfire Pointing, has for sure retained his place, with great performance in SCG.

Alarm bells for a couple of Indian players (Gambhir, Kohli, Ashwin, Laxman (though Oz has been his favorite hunting ground, until the last tour). If it's a whitewash, few of these mentioned players, can cool-off their heels for atleast a year or so.

As a true and ardent fan of Indian cricket, I still hold the faith of a strong comeback. Though, it looks Michael Clarke all the way.

Good luck, MSD.

Played with the game

Unbelievable, yet true that cricket’s image was tarnished beyond imagination with the sentence being handed out to Pakistan trio, Butt, Asif and Amir along with the bookie Majeed. It would have been a rude shock for millions of ardent fans of cricket to see cricketers being put behind bars, for the first time, ever. It’s been a great loss to the whole cricket fraternity, who can just pray that the ghost of match-fixing never ever returns. Kudos to Scotland Yard for carrying out the investigation and thereby living upto it’s own reputation. ICC, on it’s part had done well by suspending the trio even before the investigation was started and thus saving the game.

However, few questions remain un-answered
1. Will this sentence mean that the match-fixing/ spot fixing has been laid to rest ?
2. Is the sentence good enough to deter the cricketers from getting lured into fixing ? Whatwould be the stance of cricket boards/ ICC and the respective governments to further curb match-fixing ?
3. Will the bookies cease to exist. If yes, what would be their next job ?

And the BIG one,
Is cricket now really a gentleman’s game ?

First and foremost, I strongly believe that match-fixing is here to stay. It has become very much part of the system and will continue to exist , just the form may change. The game took a beating almost a decade back when the monster named match-fixing had surfaced, putting some of the greats of that time, under intense scrutiny. Few of those under question were convicted and banned, few had walked away scot-free. Hansie Cronje, the MAN who had the courage to accept being unfair to the game and to his country, was killed in a plane crash, as a part of plot (this may invite a lot of arguments which may not be defendable, but I still believe that Cronje’s death was planned and plotted). A decade later, the fixing stays and comes back with a bang. Food for thought : if a bookie is not doing match-fixing, then what else is his job. The bookies have thrived and just won’t be wiped out. They are like the reptiles who will hibernate during unfavorable conditions and will surface whenever the time is ripe.

The sentence handed out to the tainted trio may well be a deterrent to the new breed of cricketers. However, there have to be much more stringent laws to make players realize that they are playing at the supreme level and hence any devious maneuvers will invite strictest of punishment . Let me analyze this a bit further . Why do cricketers do match-fixing
a. Money
b. Money
c. Money

That’s the root cause. Cricketers who have learnt to play the game in the dusty by-lanes of the sub-continent, get bamboozled when they see the quantum of money, swankiest cars, awesome girls. Pretty sure that a few cricket boards, do pay their cricketers well. But it’s time to pay them even better. A quenched person would be pretty relaxed and would be less likely lured by any form of juices offered. It would be very difficult to pay equivalent to what a bookie can pay. Still, if efforts can be made to pay the cricketers better, probably, lesser would be the fixing. Sentences, are good enough to set an example. However, bans have been there in the past, but that hasn’t been a stronger deterrent for the players. My argument is, even if a players is sentenced or banned, he has made the buck, to be enjoyed later or by his family and generation. Just that the player has to be shameless when put behind bars a.k.a. Mohammed Azharuddin (as I write this post, Azharuddin, is Member of Parliament, India; one of the highest designation held by a citizen).

For the cricket boards, ICC and the governments of cricket-playing nations, it is imperative to address the issue at the earliest. A few suggestions
a. Make very stringent laws with no scope for neo-nepotism and punish the guilty
b. Educate the youngsters. Show them the right way at the very first instance.
c. Inculcate the best-practices to say NO to any form of fixing right at the cricket academy level.

The bookies will NOT cease to exist, infact they will continue to prosper. As the game becomes more rich, it’s reach expands to more nations, brings in unprecedented MOOLAH in the form of T20 leagues a.k.a IPL, bookies will continue to rule the roost. As match-fixing can never be fool-proof, there would always be some window for a bookie to sneak in and do the job. My argument is, if a bookie will not fix the matches, what will he do ? The only answer I can fathom is he can stop match-fixing. Probably, ICC can do a Catch-me-if-you-can. Yeah, let ICC hire the culprit Majeed and he can not only open Pandora’s box, but also can be very helpful to plug the loopholes in the system, which may help to make the system near foolproof.

Lastly, is the game really for a gentleman now ? NAY. The game had started in England, in the purest of it’s form. It was played, practiced and enjoyed by a race which has been fair-minded for ages and ages. They had the true love and devotion for the game. For English, yes this was a religion. Indian sub-continent has been a land of crooks. I think the British made some gargantuan efforts to improve the shady nerds, but just couldn’t. The result speaks the volumes : Maximum number of players involved in fixing were and will always be from the sub-continent. And so would be the bookies. The English can just pity themselves for the game to be harassed and raped right in front of them. Wish they could have kept cricket just a gentleman’s game.

Phew...Dhoni!!!

Huh...I get back to writing my heart out after almost 2 years...has been quite sometime....and yes I have forgotten and forgiven my stupid manager...

Coming back to my heart-touching topic...Cricket...what a year this has been for India. Winning the World Cup, that too in the Home country. MSD. The man with Midas touch. Probably, the greatest Indian captain ever. Captain cool, calm, focussed, strategic, team-man, winner. Over the past few months MSD has clearly become the messiah for thores of Indian fans. T20, World Cup, IPL, Championship Trophy, and the list can go on and on. Not just Dhoni, but the Indian fan can just pinch themselves if all this glory is for real. Congrats Man, many milestones achieved.

Enter post IPL. Half of the Indian team is either injured or is rugged-out due to over-exhaustive schedule. Indian team for Windies tour is picked sans MSD, Tendulkar, Sehwag, Zak, Gambhir, Yuvraj et al. Suresh Raina, leads the pack of young legs on the field and wins the One-day series 3-2, just keep the reputation of India as World Champions. Tests, MSD takes the charge again and delivers 1-0 in a 3 test series. Kudos. Ishant Sharma deserves a mention, for his comeback to the Indian side, with an outstanding performance.

England tour beckons. Lots of hype. Lots of credibility, reputation at stake. Can India sustain No 1 ranking. Probably, the best possible squad with Tendulkar, VVS, Dravid, MSD, Zak is selected to give jitters to the English camp. The first 3-day game against Somerset and there comes the cat out of the bag. Oh dear, is something amiss. What happened to the sharpened Indian pace attack. Where are the batsmen. A young rookie pacemen makes Indian team bite the dust.

Lords Test : This was sure to set the tone for the rest of the tour. India just didn't have the right record at this Mecca, and they kept that reputation. Injury to Zak was enough to leave the Indian pace attack in tatters. Though PK, Ishant did their bit, but they never enjoyed the support from the other end. Fabulous 200 by KP, quick-fire century by Prior made the Indian team go down tamely. Never like a roaring TIGER, never like a Dhoni. Phew Dhoni :( Harbhajan, very honestly, you disappointed. Special ovation to the WALL a.k.a Rahul Dravid,for being the centurion and a true Test player.

Nottimgham Test : India miss Gambhir, Zak. Come back very strong at England on Day 1. Broad saved the day for England, making it past 200. Poor start to Indian innings, Mukund out on the very 1st ball. Dravid and VVS, look really special, giving there-after a decent start to the Indian innings. Couple of wickets fall, though India edge past English total. Dravid, the man again, scores the century. Broad, the man for England, takes the hat-trick and phew again. Ishant, Sree and PK who had looked lethal in the first innings, don't give a flyer to India. English batsmen, make India toil. Century by Bell, quick-fire runs by Bresnan, Morgan were the highlight. India were set a mamoth total for evening the series. And phew again. What a show. What a side this has been. I had the feeling, that India will make England take the ground on Day 5. Very honestly, I had pinned the hopes, though absolutely unrealistic, that India would win the Test. Phew, do I need to mention the scores.

Alas, like any ardent fan of Indian cricket, it was a heart-breaking day. The strategist MSD failed, all tricks gone and a lot is at stake now.

The English side would win the series for sure. Anderson, Broad are in top form. KP, Prior, Trott, Bell have done very well with the bat to boost their confidence. They all are playing like a cohesive unit, exploiting the conditions very well and should do very well in the coming tests. Return of Sehwag does give some potency to the Indian squad, but please note that Sehwag is returning from a long injury. He would take some time to get used to the conditions and that makes his form a bit questionable. Harbhajan is out of the squad now and that may make place for Mishra to step in. The issue that seems is that the pitches aren't too supportive for spinners. Probably, that is the reason why offie Swann has done comparative well in the first two tests. So not sure how much Mishra can have his chance.

Though MSD has vowed for a comeback into the series, it all looks iffy. England have the best chance of getting to No 1 position and they would leave no room for complacency. It's probably a gargantuan task for MSD to wow the Indian fans. If and only if, Indian team, can level series, which looks highly unlikely, then as a fan of MSD, it would be a big salute to this iron-strong man.

My 2 cents, the series belongs to England 3-0.

Congrats, England, you are No 1.

Phew...Dhoni !!!

Why-my-manager-is-always-stupid

I am quite sure that this post will certainly draw some interest, unlike my previous posts. My apologies to all THE MANAGERS, who would find the title of this post a bit insulting. However, if you have spare 10-15 minutes, please read on and I request you to please share your comments as well. For all those who are reporting to their respective managers, the topic would be of great interest, but there lies a flip side to all your thoughts and actions towards the manager. I just hope that irrespective of your role you enjoy this post.

It turns out to be the easiest and meatiest of topics for me to pen and pin down the insane, wily, scornful, dumb creature. Thousands of thoughts (though definitely de-meaning to my manager) come rushing to my mind. Alas, I am a human being and have the canny trait of cursing, criticizing and looking down-upon anything or anybody which does not suit my taste, my style, my thought-process and many-a-times my existence itself. Always and always my SIXTH SENSE points to something sinister about this UGLY MONSTER who is incapable, inefficient, dumbest of all but is smart enough to tame MEEEE, and scornfully. DISGUSTING. At the very beginning of the day (mind you, not at the end), I hate him to the core, want every bit of him to be decimated and finally unshackle myself from all his beliefs and perceptions that he has towards ME. Gosh, I feel like getting out of this stinking place which seems to be doomed just by the presence of this heartless and brainless human being. I pray earnestly every day, every hour and every minute "Oh Lord, please forgive me of all the sins which I did (intentionally) in my previous life and provide me with some succour from this bull-shit piece of flesh. All of a sudden I find my prayers are answered and dream comes true. Does that sound like GREAT ESCAPE. Momentarily yes. BUT HEY. I am trapped again. I find myself under a similar boss (in my new job) who unfortunately possesses more or less the same qualities as described above.

Ok...enough of being a true critic. It's time to do a bit of dissection and analysis as to why this situation always arises. Why does a team member many-a-times feels insulted and tormented. The equation between the manager and the team does infact gets worse over the time. Team wants to quit and sometimes so wants the manager. So what is the basic underlying which governs all this and leads to an embarrassing situation at least for one party (the team-member). Probably it's about the three letter word (hey, you dirty mind, it's not that), EGO. Yes, this little word makes all the difference. It's difficult for a boss to really digest that "ye kal ke launde (kind of new born babies)" are un-willing to accept his instructions (rational or irrational), are ready to confront him with any damn situation and also do question his existence all-together. At the same time, the team member questions the mundane, irrational tasks, yes they seem to be just the last thing on earth and many-a-times questions the rationale of questions posted by the BOSS. So this logic, illogic, rational, irrational keeps on going with great amount of energy (obviously not positive) from both the parties, until a day when of them decides to opt for some other avenues (and it's always the pathetic team member) and probably break this vicious-cycle forever. But alas, somehow or the other, this Pandora’s Box opens up again in the new job.

Let me attempt a kind of volte-face here. Why shouldn’t a manager be stupid. He is stupid because his boss is stupid and the boss is stupid because the boss’s boss is stupid. Probably, the top management of the company is stupid. And the stupidest of all of them is the CEO of the company. Gosh, it’s a mad-mad world. But, why this stupidity altogether. Why can’t it be just a plain simple company with simple thinking, simple vision, simple values and with NO ABSOLUTE STUPIDITY. Huh. Does it really require a few Einstein’s to be put together to really a rational answer as to why this STUPIDITY altogether. Nope, not all. The answer is pretty simple, infact. We are all human beings, who were barbaric till just a few thousand years back. We claim to have improved over the ages in a lot many areas (physically, mentally etc etc) yet, we continue to be irrational and insatiable species. We want MORE, and MORE, and MORE…probably try and defy all possible gravities on this planet. Hell, who wants to stick to a company which does not show double-digit compounded profits every quarter. Who wants to have a management of the company which “simply” says that exorbitant growth and results are not sustainable? Who wants to have a team which is complacent enough to sit and relax and not make things happen. NOBODY. So what does an individual (atleast a shareholder) want from the company. I guess STUPIDITY. Let me try an explain this. The top boss has to be stupid or unreasonable in order to make the company thrive, irrespective of conditions, challenges or whatever. The management of the company has to turn threats or risks into opportunities. And this cannot be achieved by having an attitude which is reasonable, relaxed and easy-going. Mind you, for every success there is a price to be paid, and it can be an individual or a team or a company as a whole which will ultimately pay the price for being successful. There are times and situations which really demand individuals or teams to leap out of their respective comfort zones and stretch themselves beyond limits so as to deliver the results. Every organization has a mix of people wherein there are out performers, mediocre and laggards. Typically, laggards who cannot cope up with the challenges and with the pressure and really the complainant lot. They can just crib and brag for any damn reason and curse their manager. A true champion in the team will not just outperform but will also attempt to lead the team and deliver the results, come what may. And these out performers will continue to be the cynosure of all eyes.

All in all, a manager will continue to be STUPID in order to deliver the results and make the ends meet. For a team member, getting frustrated and just cursing the manager will be of no possible help as this frustration will lead to further dis-alignment from the manager’s objectives. In this new age economy, where there are abundant companies and opportunities (surely, not at the moment), switchover is another proposition which is being regularly exercised. There are pros and cons of a switchover (I’ll not discuss them here). But my dear team-member, aren’t you going to report to a manager again in your new job. And where lies the credence that the next manager is not going to be STUPID anymore. I strongly feel that till the individual is enjoying the growth, there are no reasons to complain. Even tolerating and getting along with a STUPID boss can give some lessons which are worth to be referred to in future.

So all my fellow team-members (I am not a manager yet), let’s get serious, serious about our growth and value-addition which will be the only thing to boast about in future. After all, aren’t you smart enough to separate wheat from hay (and leave out hay). You have the only option to say “YES” to life. Just FORGET and FORGIVE the STUPID MANAGER.

Indian Cricket...Jai Ho

After a fair amount of procrastination and deliberation, I finally make up my mind to comment on the Indian Cricket Team (yes there are many other issues in India to commented on….but I will come to those issues only after a bit of procrastination :D). I remember as a teenager, India always proved to be minnows when it came to overseas tours (Aus, WI, SA, NZ…). All wishes and prayers used to go in vain (sometimes it was Lord Indra who used to pay heed and rescue the India team from another crushing defeat). But yes times have changed. And fortunately for Indian cricket. The previous generations of Indian cricketers tried their best to bring the glory to Indian cricket (except for Kapil Dev and his men by making a cut in 1983 World Cup) but just failed to do so. So what was missing? Passion, Experience, Cricketing Basics. Naah...this all was there. Perhaps, what was missing was the TEAM, the SPIRIT, and the COMPETETIVENESS.

The English defined Cricket as a gentleman’s game and that was all. As elsewhere, this attracted the elite Indian class. Hardly there were players from second rung Indian cities till late 90s. Few of the players in the team took it for granted which was like a termite slowly ruining the Indian cricket. These players enjoyed the support from some quarter or the other (selectors, politico-honchos, sometimes even that of the captain). This probably did cost the Indian Cricket the COMPETETIVENESS. It is always imperative of the captain to make the right choices, leave the un-deserved ones and thus keep the morale and motivation high. This seemed to be a distant thought in that era when sometimes the captain was given under-par players like Ankola, Dodda Ganesh, Vikram Rathore, Deep Dasgupta. Enter Saurav Ganguly. A lot of credit should be given to Dada for re-defining captaincy in Indian Cricket. He proved to be a man of steel and had nerves. All the while he could take some tough decisions when it came to the selection of team players. The situation seems to have got a lot better now. With captain at the helm of affairs (as rightly he should be), being given a free hand atleast to choose the best X1 from the best available.

As I have highlighted in one of my previous blogs, ICL and IPL have added a new dimension to Indian cricket. Such has been the aura of IPL that it has become the most televised event in Indian history. It has proven to be a new lease of life for the few deserving yet sidelined cricketers who were just getting rotten playing for their state teams. The money, the concept, the power, the thrill it’s all there. It’s been a roller-coaster ride so far and hopefully it will continue to emphatically well in future. Who should be Gung-ho about this latest frenzy. The few deserving players, who can rub their shoulders with the national and international players and prove their worth, or, the cricket fan who sometimes feels the chill in his spine with the nail-biting finish (remember the last IPL season finale, which seemed to have been tailored for a perfect finish), or is it the Franchisees, the KKRs, the Mumbai Indians et al raking in the moolah like never before. My guess is that this event should have brought a million-dollar smile to MSD. It’s like warriors slugging it out and winners not only get a bounty but also fair amount of chance to make it to the national squad (Yusuf Pathan, I couldn’t quote a better example). These kind of leagues are for sure going to produce some "BETTER THAN THE BEST" and the national sides will keep on harvesting.

One of India's key challeges in 90's had been consistency. They manage to put up good show sometimes but it was never a routine affair. I guess this was also a reason for a captain to remain constantly under pressure. Tendulkar, THE CLASS, does not enjoy a good captaincy record (Tests : 25P-4W-9L-12D; ODI : 73P-23W-43L-1T-6NR). These statistics can't somehow just match his personal records. Overseas tours always proved to be just too difficult for the best batsmen to score in front of even the mediocore bowlers. Pitches, it seemed, never ever "pitched in" for the Indian team. With a whole lot of fanfare attached to the overseas tours, it proved to be nothing but a damp squib. Teams like Aus and SA did prove a mockery of Indian Cricket on atleast a few occasions. Welcome MSD.

The cricketer who can take the team to new highs, is willing to take risks and back his men, ALWAYS. Undoubtedly, he has always seemed to have a cool head, remains poised and FOCUSSED. Debut in Dec 2004 and crowned the Indian captain in 2007. Indian Team wins the first T20 World, wins series in Australia, Sri Lanka, NZ. Credit should be given to Mahi for nurturing the team and transforming the players into greats (Gambhir and Ishant seem like a good example). His strategy to beat the opponent team at their own game seems to be working very well. He remains the coolest chap around but is aggressive enough to get the best out of his men. "Make winning a habit" seems to be his mantra, but he needs to carry the team much further. Looking at other great captains of modern times like Steve Waugh, Ricky Ponting, Mahi still needs to go a long way by winning further tournaments both domestic and overseas.

Last few years have augured very well for Indian Cricket. As an avid and sometimes arrogant fan, all I can pray is majestic times and new highs for Indian Cricket. Hopefully, Lord Indra, won't be bugged by the Indian Cricket fans atleast in near future. Unfold your magic MEN IN BLUE. Jai Ho.

Power Shift

All is well if it ends well. Sometimes, all is not well if it does not end well. Ricky "Punter" Ponting would have watched in disbelief Hashim Amla scoring the winning run and handing over Australia some of the worst defeats in past few decades. “Punter” can undoubtedly be heralded as one of the finest players modern times has ever seen. Records as a captain and as a player all have been awesome. Leading a country to two consectutive World Cup wins is a feat what others just can't dream of. But tides do turn and sometimes they turn ruthlessly.

Let's refer to the two decades which saw not only the dominance of one team but also the emergence of cricket as a major sport. Circa 1970s-80s. West Indies team emerged as almost the "INVINCIBLES" during these times. This team had some of the legends like Sir Gary Sobers, Clive Lloyd, Gordon Greenidge, Desmond Haynes, Malcolm Marshall, Viv Richards just to name a few. The team had a fantastic run in 70s with two World Cup wins and an awesome 80s period wherein they emerged as the best side in Test Cricket under the leadership of Viv Richards. However, WI have struggled since 1990s with only a few good performances to recount for. Some of the factors which might have dethroned them from their reign could be
a. Retirement of the greats
b. India's historic win in 1983 World Cup (I guess this sparked off a fad in every Indian youngster to emulate Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar)
c. Emergence of few other strong sides like Australia
d. Lack of funds with the West Indies Cricket Board

Comparing this with the current state of Aussies, does it mean that Australia is set for decline. I guess YES they are. Oz have also had a dream run since 1999, winning 3 World Cup tournaments in a row. They have had an impeccable Test record. They have given the Test Cricket some of the best memoirs. To me, the side under Steve Waugh has been the BEST EVER with McGrath, Warne, Gilly, Punter, Hayden et al. They gave a new dimension to Tests by scoring at an average of 4 (or more) per over. Oz have been one of the toughest side to beat in the past decade. Teams all across found it difficult to match the ferocity at which Oz played. Most of the other sides proved to be minnows when battling the Aussies. Couple of reasons which may justify the end of Oz era, could be
a. Retirement of greats
b. Emergence of India
Australia may not die the death as did West Indian cricket for the reasons like they have high benchmarks, league cricket which churns out good cricketers, good infrastructure and possibly good money as well. However, they will struggle to regain their glory of being the champions over and over again.

Credit goes to India
It all started with the Twenty-20 World Cup last year. India beat Oz in the Semis and went on to win the first Twenty-20 World Cup. Dhoni and his boyz started as underdogs in the event and surprised one and all with this win. The world-cup victory probably must have given a lot of BOOST to Dhoni's confidence with also a cue that Oz are not invincible. India's tour to Australia in Dec 07 - Mar 08 was another defining moment. The tour will be remembered for some of the obvious reasons, Monkeygate. Test Series went in Aussies favor with 2-1 but it exposed some chinks in Oz armour. Retirement of some of the greats (Gilly, McGrath, Langer) was definitely a blow which has left a void and Aussies are finding it difficult to fill the same. India winning the One-day series in Australia and Test series (in India) is another testament to it.

I guess Dhoni and his men were the first to do the initial damage followed by Graeme Smith’s platoon. Aussies loss in the home ground to SA (2-0) must have surely given shivers and jitters to the Punter. He has received flak from many corners and a loss to SA in the 3rd test in Sydney will definitely have his obituary ready.


What Next ? India Shining

I would like to explain my opinion on why I strongly feel India could have a phenomenal run in Cricket in the next few years.
a. Leadership : One of the factors which have always troubled the Indian Cricket is good leadership. Dhoni, so far, has proved a point to every Indian cricket fan. He has won a World Cup, couple of series (Tests and One-day both) to bring cheer to this cricket-frenzy nation. He looks focussed, poised balanced (unlike Dada, who used to lose his temper and thus balance quite often). So far so good, but loads of challenges ahead for Dhoni and I wish him luck.
b. IPL and ICL : These two leagues have re-defined not just Cricket but also entertainment. Many deserving youngsters have got a platform to showcase their talent and also rub their shoulders with the international players. This kind of experience will certainly make the Indian bench strength much stronger (though ICL players are yet banned, but who knows in future...). Also, with the kind of money pouring in these leagues, some would-be players from second-rung towns and cities will definitely be vying for their pie. So the net result is STRONG BENCH STRENGTH for India. I feel that retirement of Ganguly, Dravid, Kumble, and probably that of Tendulkar, VVS in few years will surely be a loss but it will be re-couped in almost no time with new young blood.

My sincere hope is that Indian cricket has buried some of the ghosts of match-fixing, petty politics, nepotism. It has come to a level where performance speaks for itself. Let’s all have faith in MEN IN BLUE, for the time has arrived for them to rule the world. Dhoni and his boyz can begin unfolding the magic.

Capitalism vetoed

Communism has been voted out numerous times in the past and staunch capitalists have advocated their religion to bethe de-facto standard which should be adopted and admired all across. Times change. And in this fast moving world, they change at lightning speed. Somewhere in mid 2007, one of my good friends in US, told me that things are not looking bright as loads of people had defaulted on home loans. At the same time, Sensex and Nifty were making new highs almost every week. Money was poured in BRIC countries from almost every corner of the world and the party never seemed to end. FIIs, HNIs, retail investors all just couldn't stop basking in glory of their well earned 30%-50% returns in a few days time. All seemed like a fairy-tale story.

Switch over to Jul 2008. MAYHEM, PANDEMONIUM, prevail. And God knows till what time it will prevail. Capitalist empire has been brought down to it's knees. This economic crisis is unusual and the steps taken to overcome the same also seem to be unusual. Newsreports of bail-out packages for some of the mamoth size companies are the order of the day. Not even in my wildest dreams, I could ever imagine that Lehmann Brothers, AIG, Merril Lynch will fall like nine-pins. And this doesn't stop with these financial giants. Automobile companies like GM, Chrysler seem to be doomed as well. Circa 1929. The Great Depression. Crisis which lasted for over a decade and left millions jobless and hapless. HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF.

Some of the questions which keep quizzing me on this economic crisis are :

1. Howcome these BIGGIES go bust all of a sudden and what was the Bush's administration doing in order to prevent the same.

2. US is having some of the toughest compliance measures and regulations to be adhered to. Still all the fiascos (Enron, Arthur Andersen in 2002) and the current ones (Lehmann, AIG) all result from US. Why and where these laws fail to prevent these fiascos.

3. This question or thought might sound wierd to certain extent. Is US trying to shadow the laws of nature. They have brought down the economies in Iraq and Afghanistan (may be others as well). These countries have bled for the last few years, courtsey some of the sinister ideas of US. Their propaganda seems to have outplayed them and now it's their turn. So lets not be too surprised at all this nemesis. Possibly, Dubyaman should have taken care of his pants rather than pulling down the trousers of a least devilish dictator. Cries of millions of innocent people in Iraq and Afghanistan has not gone as a gas, it has hit right in your face, Mr. Bush.

So, what next ?

India was probably the victim of the privatisation of West. Ministry of Disinvestment spear-headed by Arun Shourie became the talk of the country in Vajpayee's government. It seemed that every government holding company was rather a liability and Arun Shourie tried with all his might to put these into the hands of insatiable indviduals. Stiff opposition by Left seems to be right. MoD was shut down and this prevented India going the US way. There seems to be a dramatic turn-around now with talks of nationalisation of many of the private companies in US. Indian economy may not be decoupled from US or Europe, still it is able to survive. We don't have scores of companies in Fortune 500 list but we are still doing better by not losing millions of jobs and claiming new highs on unemployment rates. One of the simple reason being we are still governed and regulated by an authority which will not put the entire nation on the block.

Going forward, I don't see Communism bouncing back, though there are many fundamentalists who will still vouch for it. At the same time, I am highly skeptical of Capitalism becoming prevelant, again to return us the daunting ghosts of present times. Probably, a new world order is required to overcome the flaws of both forms of political ideologies and propose a new structure which stands by and for all so that these horrendous times should be avoided. On the philosophical note, I guess, few of us, will have to rise above HUMANITY so as to guide and govern us from all the improbable ominous thoughts and actions we will always have.

Terror, Truly Deserved

Terror, terror everywhere. It's been one of the deadliest attacks ever not only in Indian history but also across the world. Thousands of articles, probably millions of comments on web, awesome media coverage, comments from politico-honchos is enough to prove the magnamity of the attack. 200 odd killed, well that's a kind of every 2 or 3 months affair in this country, but the style in which 200-odd were killed, took the whole world by storm. Debates on attacking Pakistan, forming draconian laws to counter terrorism, special forces being set-, all started with a lot of vigor. Seems INDIA is quite HURT. So, what next? ACTION. FORRGGETTT IT. In a couple of months, these initiatives,arguments, thoughts will actually go down the drain. And for sure. The simple reason being :

WE INDIANS BEING THE DAMN EMOTIONAL IDIOTS WITH VERY VERY SHORT MEMORIES.

It's a shameless country profoundly driven by self-interest. The entire nation sleeps and just sleeps. We have inculcated this great habit (sleep) over centuries. The country has been raped by British in the past, netas and babus in the present and will be held for ransom by terrorists in the future. We will be fooled by US, who just shows us a carrot everytime a voice is raised. Is there a way out to all this mess ? Can we improve from here ? Can we have a system wherein every Indian contributes a bit and thus stops complaining (about the system). I guess there would be numerous theories to support this, but my thoery gives it a flat THUMBS-DOWN. I strongly believe that we are very good at causal analysis, probably even smarter at passing the buck. But when it comes to taking the ownership, having a sense of belongingness to this nation, we fail miserably. I think we were much better under BRITISH-RAJ.

I never saw the British ruling me, but numerous films, articles, prove that British were one of the most awesome things to have happened to us. We were being tormented for some very right reasons. British made un-successful attempts to make us stay like HUMANS, if not nationals. We are like a spoilt lot who just wants to take it easy everytime. And that is the reason we are paying such a huge price and will continue to do so in future. I guess under BRITISH atleast some of our fundamentals like DISCIPLINE must have been corrected by now. Probably we would have taken some pride in our nation, would have felt for a while for the 200-odd killed in the terror strike in Mumbai. I am sure that to millions of Indians it just wouldn't have mattered.

The current state of affairs indicate states moving towards Kashmir. With our so-called Intelligence agencies (I wonder is there any kind of intelligence in them), the creeky security forces and the awesome babu-dom present amongst our great politicians, I am sure that many more terror attacks are yet to come. Whether it has been Hyderabad, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Guwahati or Mumbai, attacks have happened and with a great deal of challenge. Terrorists have out-rightly challenged and have attacked the state-capitals with WILL. Post-attack we saw our EUNUCH HOME MINISTER giving some cliched remarks. Our great R R PATIL, MR. DESHMUKH, took pride in making a mockery of this attack. No doubt, they paid the price, but has something improved. NO. ABSOLUTELY NOT.

We just don't have the capability to leave our laid-back attitude for a while and do something for ourselves or for our future generations. There are nations like Israel who have always given a "DON'T MESS WITH ME" reply to any perpetrator. They have had the guts to hunt down gunners of their athletes in South America and butcher them. But we just can't be Israelis, as we are Indians. We are too much bothered to just see and comment from the sidelines (and gosh, terrific comments...). My heart goes out to the poor child Moshe who lost his parents. Why did his parents opt of coming to India. TO DIE. And to leave their lone son wailing for them for his whole life. Probably no Israeli would feel like making it to this god-damn country. Or may be any other responsible citizen should never visit this great nation.

The common-man as ever is the most affected. Lives change for people those who lose their near and dear ones. Empathy flows-in and with time flows-out, and life just goes on. Many people come forward, extend a helping hand, show warmth and solidarity. BUT FOR WHAT. The same hienous and barbaric acts to be done again and some of us be subjected to atrocities again. Probably WE DESERVE THIS.

I have much more to write on this. But would like to put an end to this. I cannot put an end to terror or bring some succor to my fellow Indians but atleast I can put an end to incite more feelings. Alas, I am also one of the shitty Indians possesing the same qualities who just wants to get easy, having no patriotic feelings. One day, I would be a victim of terror, but I would not complain as I DESERVE this. I would not shed a tear for any of kins who may die as I DESERVE this. I would not blink if villages, towns, cities are decimated as I DESERVE this.

Watta Product !!!!

One of most successful stories that will be remembered in Cricket History will be IPL, Indian Premier League. I think IPL can be compared to a new Harry Potter issue or iPhone launch, which have taken the entire audience by storm. Much has already been written about IPL , the event was covered by media at a grandiose level and ultimately it proved to be a WIN-WIN situation for all. The organizers, including the Team Owners, must have made a killing. Players earned what would have taken them atleast a couple of years and audience had a thrilling experience, non-stop for 6 weeks.

I feel four key factors actually contributed to the astounding success of IPL :

1. Money-Money : Yes it rained and it rained Cats n Dogs. Whether it was for the Kings who owned the teams, or the players who fought some valiant battles or for the smartest lot (organizers) who organized this league. No matter which team played at whichever venue, the stands were full, TRPs went to an all time high(giving a tough time to bollywood and soap operas) and thus justifying the mind-boggling amounts paid by the Sponsors. Such was the aura of IPL that BCCI earned much more than it did during the World Cups which it has organized. Players, who struggled to make it to their National Teams, not only got good recognition, but also fair amount of money, which must have satisfied them for having devoting their life to the Gentleman's game. SRK was touted as a better businessman than Liquor king Vijay Mallaya. SRKs team Knight Riders failed to make it to the Semis but still emerged as the most profitable team. Sometimes I wonder, had the person who thought about this format should have patented it, he would have been a billionare by now.

2. Cricket Frenzy Nation : Cricket is to Indians what honey is to a bee. Un-doubtedly India is the most cricket frenzy nation. There are maniacs, who would just eat, drink and sleep cricket. They are the true disciples of the religion called Cricket. Now the maniacs were offered something which was more breath-taking and had more thrill. So Cricket was not just Cricket, it became Cricketainment. For an average Indian, returning home from office had a meaning. With this kind of popularity, Cricket is bound to make further progress in those nations where it stands for nothing more than a myth.

3. Awesome Format : Watta format boy !!!! Sixes, Sixes and Sixes. Purists might howl for this being an incorrect version of Cricket, but who cares. Audience had just pure fun for few hours. Many matches resulted in a nail biting finish as the fate was decided on the last ball(IPL Final being a true testimony). The format never desires for you to commit 4-5 days as in Tests or almost an entire day as in One-day. It seems like a thrill-cum-action-packed hollywood movie which asked for just a handful of hours and did set the impeccable tone for climax. Could you have asked for more ????

4. No Boundaries : Were there any boundaries (No I don't mean that IPL had only sixes and no fours). Was Shane Warne a Rajasthani or Makhaya Ntini well versed with Tamil or McGrath a true Delhite. Or were these players fighting battles for their Kings. It was nothing as mentioned. Rather it was the Spirit which kept the players together. Each player, irrespective of the region or religion, seemed to BELONG to the team. Camaraderie was at its best. It was quoted that Shane Warne and Graeme Smith turned from foes to friends. This reflects how the teams play as an unit when there is a sense of ownership.

What does the future hold ???
IPL undoubtedly had the MIDAS touch and going forward people will wait with utmost eagerness for the upcoming IPL Seasons. Let me throw a question "Who should get the credit for the success of IPL? " Answers could range from a. Players b. Organizers c. Bollywood (made some quick bucks with appearances...). People might have a different answer altogether, "LALIT MODI". Yes kudos to this man for having organizing the tournament and signing off it in style. But I still feel that the real credit lies with ICL (Indian Credit League). Zee group was the first to realize the true potential of the youth who are struggling to make to the international arena. They did the right thing by offering a platform to youngsters who could have never impressed the nepotomized bosses of BCCI. I think ICL hasn't got its due. Players from ICL need to be brought into the mainstream, possibly giving a few deserving candidates, a chance to represent their country.

All in all, a true victory for Cricket. We clearly see the game evolving and bringing in great entertainment for the target audience. Going forward, who knows, an IPL vs ICL tournament or a championship involving respective country leagues.

God Save Mumbai

Hi All,

This is my first blog :D

In this fast moving IT space where every 3rd person is a blogger, I was quite lazy to sit, think and then scribble something onto net.

Actually, this time I felt the urge for it. I wanted to reach out to people, share my experiences and raise some concerns (which I assume are always genuine :D ).

Well, this post is about MUMBAI, the city of dreams, where hundreds, if not thousands, come rushing in search of money and fame, everyday. The question that really needs to be asked is "IS MUMBAI THE RIGHT PLACE TO BE". My straight answer will be "NOOOOOO". This may hurt every true Mumbaikar and I offer my apologies for any offences.

I say NO to Mumbai for a host of reasons:

a. Heavily overcrowded: According to the 2001 consensus, the population of Mumbai was 13 million. I am sure the figure must definitely be much more than that. People from all corners of India just keep pouring in. Several new businesses are established in Mumbai every year, which require lot of manpower. But at the same time, it should be understood that the Land Area of Mumbai is limited. It just can't expand like other cities which have surplus land. You just can't keep on inflating the balloon.

b. Creeky Infrastructure: I honestly feel that Government should be held responsible for this fact atleast. Any Mumbaikar should feel ashamed of the pathetic infrastructure that Mumbai has, despite the fact that Mumbaikars end up paying highest taxes in the country. I have been to some other Financial hubs in other countries and the infrastructure is just awesome. New arrivals in the city just augment the woes further. The locals are a horrible means of transport, almost 10-12 people killed on a daily basis. Buses, and auto-rickshaws are no better either. I used to see the plight of ambulances stuck in traffic jams with alarms blaring and unable to move an inch. Just imagine, you with your near or dear ones in Ambulance. You would curse the traffic to the hilt.

c. Extra-ordinary fast life : What does Mumbai leave you with at End of Day ??? Try answering this after experiencing a day's life in Mumbai. It just squeezes you to the extent that you are left with no energy for yourself, forget about your family. The resources (local trains, buses) are ample, frequency is good enough, but the population makes these resources look meagre. All you see at local stations is the sight wherein people are just running for their lives. It's perhaps the only city in the world where even a second counts. Gosh !!!. Calm down Mumbai, take a breather and learn to live, not just exist.

d. Too expensive : I have no qualms to admit that Mumbai is the most expensive Indian city. If you go by the real estate rates it might even beat Manhattan or any other damn swankiest place. It is really difficult to understand when will there be a slowdown in demand if not a complete full-stop. When I arrived in Mumbai 4 years back, I used to have vada-pav for 3 rupees. The same is available for 6-7 rupees,if not more. Can someone really justify it. Look at the property rates, they have soared much beyond your imaginations. For a common man, places like Borivali are becoming increasingly unaffordable. Rents are equally high. Going at this place, in a few years from now, places like Vasai and Virar will certainly be beyond reach.

I have just highlighted a few points, the real pain areas which made me feel to opt out. I have relocated to NCR recently, heaving a sigh of relief. To me Mumbai had become a compulsion(coz of my Job) rather than choice.

I appeal to all Mumbaikars, to please Speak Out, take your government by horns, and make Mumbai a decent place to stay. Please do realize that it's already too late and any further delay will worsen the matter.

NIKHIL BANSAL